ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas is in Portland to provide on-site commentary for the MLS All-Star Game, so The Oregonian took some time to catch up with the former United States national team defender.

Lalas, one of the most recognizable soccer media figures in the United States, spoke on his admiration for Portland as a soccer city, said the MLS All-Stars have a chance against Bayern Munich and warned fans against counting out the Portland Timbers.

As a guy that's around the game so much, how do you view Portland as a soccer city?

"Portland is a city that has come to symbolize the soccer culture. It has come to almost define a whole generation, it forms how they talk, what they wear, how they view themselves within the community. A lot of it is this thread of soccer. It's authentic, but it's also very unique to this city and unique within the world of soccer. They've knocked it out of the park in terms of the way that they've branded [the Portland Timbers] in an authentic and relevant way."

Why is Portland a place that can embrace soccer that way?

"I think, first off, they are able to laugh at themselves. Despite their eccentricities and quirkiness that they have which makes them very special, they are able to laugh at themselves with everybody else. And I think with soccer, it certainly is, to an extent, an alternative way of life in the United States, and I think that appeals to people here. You are supporting a game played all over the world, and you're brining in international teams, and you know that the world doesn't stop outside our borders. And outside our borders, soccer is what people talk about. That appeals to them. Soccer, I think is very appealing to the younger generation. They want something that is their own, they want something different."

What are your thoughts on tonight's game? Do the MLS All-Stars have a chance?

"Bayern Munich obviously has a tremendous amount of talent, but they are still in preseason, and the All-Star team for MLS is fueled by a bunch of really good players, and I think they understand that this is an opportunity to send a message domestically and internationally that this is continuing to emerge and evolve as a league. A good performance against a Bayern Munich team that everyone around the world recognizes would be wonderful."

Does that aspect make the MLS All-Star game more significant than All-Star games in other leagues?

"I think so. This is all about messaging and advertising for your product. So there is that added responsibility and pressure, to a certain exten,t to make sure that message is a positive one to go out. And I think for the most part, over the years, they've done a really good job. Not just with the All-Star Game, but with the friendlies in general. You're going to have times when you're going to lose and sometimes you're going to lose big. It's not the end of the world. I think more often than not it's been a good experience to expose people to your product."

Before you go, let me ask, what do you think of the Portland Timbers' playoff chances?

"I think they still have a shot. I think they have a confidence that's left over from last year and a belief. They have a great coach in Caleb and obviously an incredible amount of support here. They're not the new kids on the block anymore. People maybe want to make them pay for what they did last year, and I think that it will come down to the wire. And they will be in it to the end."